Behavior

Ruddy Quail-Doves prefer to walk much more than to fly. They walk with a slight head bob, as in most doves. If startled, they sometimes fly up to a low hanging branch to scan the area, and then retreat back to the ground to take cover in dense undercover (Skutch 1949). Since they spend most of their time on the ground, they scavenge across the forest floors to find food to eat.

Little information. Terborgh et al. (1990) estimated the population density as 4 pairs/100 ha at one site in southwestern Amazonia.

Little information. Ruddy Quail-Dove is at least socially monogamous (Skutch 1949).

Ruddy Quail-Dove typically is solitary, or, less frequently, in pairs.

Skutch (1949) reported an instance of nest predation; he did not witness the act of predation, but suspected a mammal, such as a tayra or an opossum.